Lot 285 Star Witness (AUS) - Conscious (AUS) bay filly

TE AKAU 2025 LADIES' SYNDICATE - chasing 'More Magic' - this filly will chase the A$500,000 Racing Women's Bonus in 2026 - plus there is a A$250,000 Racing Women's Bonus in the 2027 A$3 million Gold Coast 3YO Guineas - exciting times ahead!

Lot 285 bay filly Star Witness – Conscious (So You Think) - draft: Bhima Thoroughbreds 

The filly is from the same draft, Bhima Thoroughbreds, that Te Akau principal David Ellis purchased Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) in 2020 at the Gold Coast. The winner of 10 Group One races, Imperatriz is the current New Zealand Horse of the Year and Champion Sprinter in Australia. Retired and sold in June last year for $6.6 million, she became the highest priced filly or mare ever sold in the Southern Hemisphere.

The sire, Star Witness (Starcraft) was a dominant winner of the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) down the straight at Flemington, before becoming a successful sprint sire in Australia.

In 2023, Ellis purchased another yearling filly by Star Witness, named Bellatrix Star, who last season won the first two-year-old race, followed by winning the Eclipse Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m), and became a finalist for Champion Two-Year-Old.

This season as a three-year-old, Bellatrix Star, racing out the Te Akau stables at Cranbourne, won the Cap D’Antibes Stakes (Listed, 1100m) at Flemington, Scarborough Stakes (Gr. 3, 1200m) at Moonee Valley, and completed a hat-trick in the Schillaci Stakes (Gr. 2, 1100m) at Caulfield.

Dam sire So You Think (High Chaparral) won 10 Group One races before becoming a leading stallion in Australia, finishing second and third, respectively, in the Australian General Sires’ List for the past two seasons.

Te Akau knows the family well, having trained stakes placed four-time winner Romantic Lady (Power) for Sir Patrick and Justine, Lady Hogan.

‘She’s a beautifully strong bodied filly with a lovely action,’ Ellis said.

‘Having So You Think and Fastnet Rock as her first two dam sires speaks highly of her bloodlines and we’ve had really good success with the progeny of Star Witness, who was a Group One winning sprinter in Australia.

‘She looks to have the natural precocity to race as a two-year-old and like Bellatrix Star train on at three and older.

‘Given her pedigree, she was pretty good value at the price.’

The filly carries a bloodline cross of breed shaping stallion Danehill (Danzig), in the dam lines of both Star Witness and Conscious.

This includes pedigree research/analysis & sale expenses at cost, as well as full pre purchase veterinary inspection & x-ray examination. Your share of post-sale transport, Magic Millions' Series and Pearl Bonus Series (fillies only) entry, insurance, post-sale shoe removal & drench additional. Ongoing costs per month approx. $500 +GST per 10% share. Full disclosure document available on request. Note - share prices stated are NZD and are GST exclusive.